For those that are tired of watching Hallmark Christmas movies and "Elf" for the millionth time, a different movie exists with an interesting take on the Austro-Bavarian folklore character, Krampus. The 2015 film, named after the folklore character, is a horror comedy directed by Michael Dougherty, best known for directing "Trick r’ Treat" (2007) and the "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (2019).
"Krampus" is one of the most jarring holiday films I have seen in a while. The movie's opening does a really good job at setting the scene for the rest of the movie, creating this almost chaotic and anger-inducing picture of the holiday season. Adam Scott and Toni Collette play the role of stressed parents Tom and Sarah. They have two children: cynical teen daughter Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) and Max, a pre-teen boy who still believes wholeheartedly in the season. The family braces themselves for the arrival of Sarah's sister Linda (Alison Tolman) and her family, an odd bunch of loud, abrasive gun nuts and Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Linda’s family includes her ill-mannered husband Howard (David Koechner), a cranky aunt (Conchata Ferrell) and several nasty cousins who pick on Max for still believing in Santa. Max is humiliated; he rips up his letter to Santa and throws it out the window.
Almost instantly, a blizzard picks up in the neighborhood and the family loses power, heat, and water. They are completely isolated from outside. Even creepier, strange snowmen have appeared in the backyard. Beth ventures out into the blizzard in order to visit her boyfriend, but she never returns. When Tom and his brother-in-law Howard go out to search for Beth, they are attacked by a monster in the snow. Forced to return home, they endure several more odd attacks in the house. Tom’s elderly mother (Krista Stadler) explains the old legend of Krampus to the family. Now, the once fractured family must band together to fight back against nasty creatures such as demonic dolls, evil elves, and satanic gingerbread men, all of which are mere openings for the big bad himself.
"Krampus" has some very odd pacing. The run time isn't dragged out to an absurdly long length at just 96 minutes, yet the first half of the movie feels incredibly slow and monotonous. The action picks up in the second half, preceded by an animated telling of the Krampus folktale, which is incredibly well done and maintains the creepy and haunting tone. I actually burst out laughing, as it was the most oddly placed animation flashback I have ever seen.
With the exception of the character Aunt Dorothy, much of the humor in this movie is a miss, with only a couple of legitimately funny lines. Despite the rough spots, the movie has several redeeming qualities. The sound design and music were all very well done, highlighting several scenes perfectly along with the creative costume designs. While much of the camera work during action scenes involved quick close-up shots, even just glimpses of the costumes showed the work and effort behind the designs.
Oddly enough, "Krampus" had one of the most fitting endings for such a movie, satisfying the film perfectly.
While this is by no means a perfect movie, "Krampus" definitely exceeded my expectations and provided a more unique look at the holiday movie genre. The movie successfully gives off the creepy and haunting vibes needed for a horror movie, while still keeping you entertained and laughing. If you need a movie to watch this holiday season that you haven't seen before, this one is definitely a good go-to pick.